When do you use into as one word

When deciding which is right for your sentence, remember that into is a preposition that shows what something is within or inside. As separate words, in and to sometimes simply wind up next to each other.

Contents

  • 1 When should I use into?
  • 2 What is the difference between in or into?
  • 3 Is it look into or look in to?
  • 4 IS IT INTO OR IN TO examples?
  • 5 What mean what are you into?
  • 6 Is into a sentence?
  • 7 Is into a verb or noun?
  • 8 How do you use into and onto in a sentence?
  • 9 Is it turn into or in to?
  • 10 Do you log into or in to?
  • 11 Which part of speech is into?
  • 12 Can you end a sentence with into?
  • 13 Does into have a space?
  • 14 Are you into me mean?
  • 15 What does into mean in math?
  • 16 What does overly submissive mean?
  • 17 What is the example of into?
  • 18 What do you mean by into?
  • 19 What does it mean to be into something?
  • 20 What does went into mean?

When should I use into?

Use “into” to describe where something is: going inside something else. Use “in to” based on the verb that comes before it. It can have many meanings, but here’s a quick tip that covers some of them: if you can replace it with “in order to,” use “in to.”

What is the difference between in or into?

The words, in and into are quite similar in their meaning, but their difference lies in the fact that ‘into’ is used when someone or something moves to another location which is an enclosed one. Conversely, ‘in’ is used when something is already in a resting position in an enclosed space.

Is it look into or look in to?

Therefore, you usually use ‘in to’ when an adverbial phrase ends with ‘in’ and a prepositional phrase or infinitive begins with ‘to’ (Example- She walked in to get some tea). Hence, the correct term is ‘looking into.

IS IT INTO OR IN TO examples?

A common error is to confuse into, spelled as one word, with the two words in to. When deciding which is right for your sentence, remember that into is a preposition that shows what something is within or inside. As separate words, in and to sometimes simply wind up next to each other.

What mean what are you into?

It’s written as one word ‘What are you into? ‘– and ‘to be into’ means ‘to be (very) interested or involved in’.

Is into a sentence?

Examples of into in a Sentence
They were heading into town. He jumped into the pool. She was just staring into space.

Is into a verb or noun?

The word into is a preposition that expresses movement between two elements in a sentence. “In to” is a verb phrase consisting of two separate words, where “in” is part of a verb phrase and “to” is a preposition or part of an infinitive (to + verb).

How do you use into and onto in a sentence?

Onto, or “on to”? Into and onto are prepositions, words that describe relative position. They are part of prepositional phrases, such as “She settled herself into her seat” or “He climbed onto the roof.” These words are forward looking, in that, as their grammatical name implies, they are positioned before the object.

Is it turn into or in to?

Turn into” means “transform into.” Your fairy godmother can turn a pumpkin into a coach. The way to instruct someone to submit a document is “turn in to,” with a space between the “in” and the “to”: “turn your application in to the registrar.”

Do you log into or in to?

Yes, I agree: Use “log in to” as a verb. So use that for giving instructions. “log into” is not terrible, but it doesn’t sound as good because it sounds like you’re actually going inside something. For example, “I walked into the store.”

Which part of speech is into?

preposition
INTO (preposition) definition and synonyms | Macmillan Dictionary.

Can you end a sentence with into?

It’s not an error to end a sentence with a preposition, but it is a little less formal. In emails, text messages, and notes to friends, it’s perfectly fine. But if you’re writing a research paper or submitting a business proposal and you want to sound very formal, avoid ending sentences with prepositions.

Does into have a space?

‘In to’ or ‘Into’? They sound the same, but a space makes all the difference. Into and in to have different uses.

Are you into me mean?

Being “into someone” means being interested in that person in a romantic way, not just to like them as a friend.

What does into mean in math?

8 dividing numbers spoken used when you are dividing one number by another Eight into twenty-four is three.

What does overly submissive mean?

showing an excessively deferential manner. meek, spiritless. evidencing little spirit or courage; overly submissive or compliant. cringing, groveling, grovelling, wormlike, wormy. totally submissive.

What is the example of into?

Come into the house. She dived into the water. He threw the letter into the fire. (figurative) She turned and walked off into the night.

What do you mean by into?

preposition. to the inside of; in toward: He walked into the room. The train chugged into the station. toward or in the direction of: going into town.

What does it mean to be into something?

If you’re into something, it means you really like it. ‘I’m into listening to music. What are you into?’

What does went into mean?

1. phrasal verb. If you go into something, you describe or examine it fully or in detail. It was a private conversation and I don’t want to go into details about what was said.

Monday, October 211 min read

Sometimes the smallest words are the ones that trip us up the most. Take «into» and «in to» — when do you add the space and when do you make it one word? Here are some easy tricks and examples to help you keep your grammar on track.

When To Use “Into”

«Into» (as a single word) is a preposition that expresses the relation between things. Within this part of speech usage it can still have different meanings.

1) «Into» can be used to indicate movement of something toward something else.

Example: I walked into the table because the lights were off.

2) «Into» can also mean “in the direction of.”

Example: Don’t look into the laser directly.

3) «Into» can reference a point within time or space.

Example: How far into October are we?

4) «Into» can indicate a general interest.

Example: He’s getting into collecting Marvel action figures.

When To Use “In To”

Even though the same letters are used, that one space makes a world of difference for the meaning. The distinction is made by the word «in» used as an adverb to modify the preceding verb. When these two words are paired together, they don’t usually have any connection to each other, aside from adjacent placement.

Example: Turn your essays in to the teaching assistant when you’re done with the exam.

Note that for that last example, if you used the incorrect «into» it would completely transform the meaning of the sentence. You’re not a wizard, and can’t transform your teacher into anything.

To determine which configuration to use, you need to examine the intention of the words «in» and «to.» If they are connected to different parts of speech in the sentence, you’ll insert that space.

Photo Credit: Amy Lister/ Unsplash

Into vs. in to! As if words that look and sound almost alike weren’t enough, the English language also has examples of words that are exactly the same, but the one is spelled like one word and the other as two. “Into” and “In to” is one example. When you’re speaking, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know the difference because nobody will ever notice that you’ve said something wrong. When you’re writing, however, it’s important to know that these two aren’t interchangeable and that they actually are very different.

INTO is a preposition that indicates movement inside or shows that something is within something. IN TO, on the other hand, isn’t a combined phrase. These are just two words that sometimes find themselves standing side by side in a sentence. In many cases, “in” is the part of a phrasal verb, while “to” simply follows it.

Examples:

  • Don’t put new wine into old bottles.
  • I just wanted to get in to see some free baseball.

When to Use Into or In to

Take a look at the sentence, “Mary put her letter into the blue envelope”. Here, into shows that something has been placed inside of something else, i.e. the letter inside the blue envelope. This is why it’s spelled as one word.

What about the sentence, “James dropped in to say hello”? Here, James isn’t going inside of something, and this is why in to are two words, not one. It’s also possible to rephrase this sentence and say, “James dropped in, in order to say hello”. If you can squish “in order” between “in” and “to”, then certainly you should spell them as two separate words.

In the modern world of technology, you can “tune in” to your favorite radio station or “log in” to a website that you find interesting. In both these cases, “in” and “to” are two neighboring words that don’t need to become one.

There’s also one exception that you should be aware of because there’s one time when into doesn’t have to do with going inside or within, but still has to be spelled as one word. This is when you’re talking about a change or a transformation. For instance, when you say, “Cinderella’s coach turned back into a pumpkin”, “into” is one word.

Into vs. In to Examples

  • The procession moved into the church.
  • He got into his car and drove off.
  • My secretary will see you into my office.
  • Tuck your shirt into your trousers.
  • We turned the table sideways to get it into the room.
  • She cut the meat into small pieces.
  • Don’t forget to tune in to our special election program this evening.
  • Do you know how to log in to the system?
  • I just put Danny in to see what he can do.
  • We come in to Heathrow at nine in the morning.
  • When a company goes out of business, officials usually move in to take control.
  • They want to come in to Morgans with a few people.

Difference between Into vs. In to | Picture

Into vs. In toPin

Into vs. In to: When to Use Into vs. In to

Last Updated on March 15, 2021

Main Into vs. in to Takeaways:

  • Both into and in to are correct, but they are not interchangeable. They mean different things.
  • Into is one word and is a preposition. It helps illustrate physical movement (The river leads into the ocean), or a metaphorical transformation (With one kiss, she turned the frog into a prince).
  • Into goes directly in front of a destination space in a sentence.
  • Conversely, in and to are two distinct words. Even though they aren’t related, they sometimes end up next to each other in a sentence.

Like anytime vs. any time and to vs. too, into vs. in to is a huge source of confusion in English grammar. They look almost identical, but these two are not the same. Let’s look at the difference between them and show you when to use into or in to in a sentence.

A young man who's confused on which term to use, into or in to. Into vs. In to

Into is a preposition, describing that an object has been moved within another. In to, on the other hand, is a two-word phrase. The adverb in and preposition to are not related.

What is the Difference Between Into and In To?

The difference betweeninto and in to comes down to the parts of speech. On one hand, use the preposition into to show that one thing physically moved inside another, or one thing figuratively transformed into another. On the other hand, in to is a two word phrase usually comprised of the adverb in followed by the preposition to. This won’t work in every situation, but use this quick trick to check yourself: if you can replace the word with “in order to,” you should probably opt for in to vs. into.

💡 Use this easy trick to make sure you choose the right one:

  1. Try replacing it with “in order to.”
  2. Does the sentence still make sense?
  3. If so, then in to (two words) is probably correct. If not, then into (one word) is probably correct.

Here is an example that illustrates why into and into are not interchangeable. Moreover, this example also shows how the above trick is a good guide but doesn’t work 100% of the time. So, be sure to think critically about the sentence’s meaning.

The meaning of the last two examples changes dramatically depending on whether you choose into or in to.

For example, the incorrect sentence means that the student transformed his paper into his teacher!

Since we really mean to say that the student submitted his work to his teacher for grading, the correct sentence uses the phrase in to (the adverbial phrase turn in + the prepositional phrase to the teacher).

Is It Into or In To?

Into and in to are both correct, but they mean very different things. The difference between these two comes down to the parts of speech. For example, into is a preposition. It lets us know that something is moving from one direction to another (He walked into the room). Conversely, in to is a phrase made up of the adverbin and the preposition to. These two words aren’t related. Instead, they just happen to sit next to each other in the sentence (He walked in to listen to the lecture).

On on hand, the preposition into indicates literal or metaphorical action:

  • An object moves into a space.
  • A person moves from adolescence into adulthood.
  • A season moves from winter into spring.

On the other hand, the word in can be a preposition, an adverb, an adjective or a noun depending on the circumstances:

  • Preposition:An object sits in a room.
  • Adverb: A person is in crisis.
  • Noun: Summer is in full bloom.

The word to can be a preposition, but it can also be an adverb — or part of an infinitive. “To” sometimes winds up next to “in” in a sentence.

Two image panels. First panel shows a man jumping into the pool. Second panel shows a student turning his paper in to his teacher.

Into and in to are both correct, but they mean very different things. Into is a preposition while in to is a phrase made up of the adverb in and the preposition to.

Here, to is part of the prepositional phraseto the store.

In this example, to is part of the adverbial phrase “come to,” meaning to regain consciousness or to wake up.

In English, “to” always goes before an infinitive verb. This is part of the way we show that a verb is in its infinitive form and not conjugated.

When Should You Use Into or In To?

Many confuse the single word into with the two-word phrase in to.” Use the preposition intoto indicate movement, whether literal or figurative. This word shows readers that something is inside something else, or where an object is in relation to another (She poured the teaintoher mug). Next,in and to are two separate words that sometimes end up next to each other in a sentence. Therefore, you usually use in to when an adverbial phrase ends with in and a prepositional phrase or infinitive begins with to (She walked in to get some tea).

Here are examples of when to use Into vs. In To in a sentence:

How Do We Use Into in a Sentence?

In a sentence, place into right in front of the destination space: intothe car; intothe house; intothe lake. Use the word into to indicate movement from one location to another. Into is a preposition, and prepositions always indicate where things are in relation to other things.

Here are examples of when to use into in a sentence:

Are you Into or In To?

Both “are you into” and “are you in to” are correct, but have different meanings. Therefore, the correct phrase depends on what you want to say. For example, if you want to ask if someone is interested in a topic or enjoys doing a certain activity, you would use the one-word preposition into (Are you into playing sports?). However, if you want to ask the reason for someone’s visit, you would probably use the two-word phrasein to (Are you in to see the doctor?).

Is it Look Into or In To?

The correct idiom is “look into.” This means to try to discover, or uncover, the facts about a situation, like a problem or a crime. The word “into” in the phrase “look into” is a preposition, which denotes a movement toward something or a certain location. If you’re investigating something, you need to “move toward/closer” to the evidence or object of your interest to find the truth.

In the above example, the speaker is claiming that the pole is not properly attached to its base. But, his/her statement also suggests that you can prove it yourself if you look into it (look closer to the pole).

Image shows that Jake is too afraid to go into the haunted house. His friends are laughing while he's running away.

The preposition into indicates movement, whether literal or figurative

Recap: Into vs. In To

First, never use “in to” and “into” interchangeably. This is a mistake.

In fact, into is actually one word. And, it’s a preposition. As a result, it defines what an object is inside, or within. To use into correctly in a sentence, put it right in front of the destination space.

However, in and to are two completely different words, even though they sometimes wind up next to each other.

Confident you know when to use into vs. in to? Test your skills below!

Quick Into vs. In To Quiz

Into vs In to Question #1

Correct!
Wrong!

The answer is FALSE. “In” and “to” are two distinct words. Meanwhile, “into” can mean a metaphorical transformation or physical movement.

In to vs Into Question #2

A. Into

B. In to

C. All of the above

Correct!
Wrong!

The answer is A. “Into” is a preposition that tells the reader about motion or direction.

Into or In to Question #3

A. Into

B. In to

C. Any of the above

Correct!
Wrong!

The answer is A. You use “into” to indicate movement or position.

In to or Into Question #4

A. Into

B. In to

C. Any of the above.

Correct!
Wrong!

The answer is A. The preposition “into” can indicate literal or metaphorical action.

Into and In to Question #5

A. Into

B. In to

C. Any of the above.

Correct!
Wrong!

The answer is B. “In” and “to” are separate words that sometimes end up next to each other in a sentence.

In to and Into Question #6

A. Preposition

B. Adverb

C. Adjective

D. All of the above

Correct!
Wrong!

The answer is D. The word “in” can be a preposition, an adverb, an adjective or a noun.

Into vs In to Quiz Result

Expert!

Expert!

Not bad!

Not bad!

Almost got it! Review the article and try again.

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Read More: Than Vs. Then: How To Tell The Difference Once And For All

«Into» (one word) and «in to» (two words) are frequently confused. In what situations should the former be used? The latter?

RegDwigнt's user avatar

RegDwigнt

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asked Aug 5, 2010 at 23:51

Pops's user avatar

1

You should use «into» when it’s a question of location, for lack of a better word. «I went into the store,» «We went into the field of computer science,» «We drank well into the morning,» etc..

«In to» just happens sometimes. «I went in to buy some milk.» In that sentence the «to» is part of the infinitive «to buy.»

If you aren’t sure which one to use, change the «in» to «in order» and see if it still works. «I went in order to the store» is wrong, but «I went in order to buy some milk» is good.

answered Aug 6, 2010 at 0:18

kitukwfyer's user avatar

kitukwfyerkitukwfyer

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This is explained in the book called «Common Errors in English Usage» by Paul Brians:

“Into” is a preposition which often
answers the question, “where?” For example,

“Tom and Becky had gone far into the cave before they realized they were
lost.”

Sometimes the “where” is metaphorical,
as in,

“He went into the army”

or

“She went into business.”

It can also refer by analogy to time:

“The snow lingered on the ground well into April.”

In old-fashioned math talk, it could
be used to refer to division:

“Two into six is three.”

In other instances where the words
“in” and “to” just happen to find
themselves neighbors, they must remain
separate words. For instance,

“Rachel dived back in to rescue the struggling boy.”

Here “to” belongs with “rescue” and
means “in order to,” not “where.” (If
the phrase had been “dived back into
the water,”
“into” would be
required.)

Try speaking the sentence concerned
aloud, pausing distinctly between “in”
and “to.” If the result sounds wrong,
you probably need “into.”

Then there is the 60s colloquialism
which lingers on in which “into” means
“deeply interested or involved in”:

“Kevin is into baseball cards.”

This is derived from usages like “the
committee is looking into the
fund-raising scandal.”
The
abbreviated form is not acceptable
formal English, but is quite common in
informal communications.

answered Nov 2, 2010 at 8:05

Mehper C. Palavuzlar's user avatar

3

Broadly speaking, in refers to something that already exists inside something, while into implies motion from outside to inside.

Dexter was in the room at the time of the murder.

Dexter went into the room shortly before the murder.

People often use in instead of into, especially if in is preceded by an adverb:

Max went down in the mine with the rest of the crew.

This is an informal usage, but you will hear it a lot. Nevertheless, if you follow the general rule listed in my first sentence, you should be able to understand the difference and make yourself understood.

Community's user avatar

answered Mar 27, 2011 at 10:57

Robusto's user avatar

RobustoRobusto

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A team of two little guys against one big fella — who will win? Into vs. in to is a classic grammar cage match, though the winner depends on the situation, of course. Let’s talk about how you can start telling between these two commonly confused words.

Deciding Between Into vs. In To – With Examples

So what’s the difference between into and in to?

Use into when you want to say that the modified and modifier are moving or otherwise tending toward, through or against each other, physically or conceptually. Use in to for every other scenario. 

into vs in to

Into vs. In To Examples

It all comes down to parts of speech. Into is always a preposition. In to is frequently made up of parts of verb phrases. Sometimes in is the end of a phrasal verb. Similarly, to is often the beginning of an infinitive form of a verb. Here are some into vs. in to examples:

  • I just checked in to see how everybody was doing. (Phrasal verb and infinitive verb)
  • He flew in to Dulles Airport. (Phrasal verb and preposition)
  • She poked her finger in to test the pie. (Preposition and infinitive verb)

Using the In To vs. Into Cheat Sheet

It’s still easy to make mistakes when using into or in to, especially when spellcheck doesn’t know the difference between log in to vs. log into. To help, here’s a table of some common phrasal verbs with usage examples. Keep in mind that they might not apply if you mean the base form — break, check, log, and so on — literally, or if the word isn’t a verb. For example, you would roll a log into a river, but you would log in to an account.

Break in (to a diamond shop)

Fly into (a frenzy)

Log in (to Myspace)

Break into (song)

Get in (to a club)

Look into (a mystery)

Bump into (someone)

Get into (stamp collecting)

Move in (to a bigger house)

Call in (to work)

Give in (to temptation)

Plug in (to charge)

Check in (to the airport)

Go in (to work)

Plug into (the wall)

Check into (a mystery)

Go into (the office building)

Run into (an old friend)

Come in (to a diamond shop)

Hand in (to the teacher)

Sign in (to the library)

Come into (an inheritance)

Head in (to the cave)

Talk into (coming along)

Drop in (to visit)

Let in (to the secure area)

Turn in (to the authorities)

Fly in (to New York)

Lock in (to a closet)

Turn into (a werewolf)

Into vs. In To: Meanings Matter

When studying into vs. in to, there’s plenty of room for confusion at first. That’s because correctness depends on the underlying meaning. Usually, everything becomes clear once you focus on what you’re trying to say. Take this simple homophonic sentence:

  • That leather broke into some soft pieces.
  • That leather broke in to some soft pieces.

They’re both very different. The first one conveys a sense of leather that falls apart. The second one means that the material became supple and flexible once the pieces were conditioned with time, care and wear. As you can see, into and in to convey unique meanings when inserted into the same sentence.

Using In To Replace Into

In can often be substituted for into, but it’s less common that you can swap them the other way around. In is more general, typically speaking. 

into vs. in to tips

Different people tend towards into or in to, and focusing on this detail can be a good way to capture how individuals talk. That’s useful in professional writing, especially if you’re attempting to gain credibility with a specific market or convey a different tone, for example. 

That begs the question: If in can often stand in for into, why does English have both words? Why is into a word? The biggest reason: Into is more specific, so using it can help avoid confusion in many cases.

When To Use In or Into

In wears a lot of hats, as does to, but into is strictly a preposition. That said, into is still versatile. Knowing how to use it correctly will help you make the best decisions for your writing. Here are some examples of into vs. in:

Into Something

The first definition of into involves getting physically closer. The ideas of insertion, entry, inclusion and combination are some examples of its primary meaning.

  • The deposits funneled into an offshore account.
  • They admitted her into the group.
  • Pour the egg mixture into the double boiler, then stir until smooth and thick.

Into Form

You can also use into more conceptually. It expresses conditions:

  • We all had to get into better shape for the climb.
  • They didn’t want to get into any trouble.
  • She flew into a rage.

Into a Profession

Into also works when talking about actions, jobs or ownership. Using into can help differentiate from physical location in select cases, such as the first example below. 

  • After his oil-mining venture tanked, Chris had to go into another field.
  • We invested heavily into credit default swaps right before the housing crash.

Into a Hobby

You could also talk about interests using into. This is a concise way of talking about what people like, so you might want to avoid it if you’re trying to make word count. On a serious note, this usage could come across as unprofessional in some settings.

  • Prince Thutmose was totally into cats.
  • He got into metal after his first concert.
  • My family is into decorating profusely for the holidays — all of them.

Into Multiple Parts

If you’re into math, then you can use into to solve some unique linguistic problems. It’s used to express division. Alone, it introduces the dividend.

  • To define integrals, you can start by dividing the area under a curve into an infinite number of rectangles.
  • Dividing 10 into 30 gives you 3.

Into the Future

Into is also used to talk about proceeding or acting towards an endpoint. You can use it for many linear concepts, such as time or line of sight. 

  • Humoralism informed Western medicine well into the 1700s.
  • We looked into the noxious abyss.
  • The picnic stretched languidly on into the early summer evening. 

Into a Brick Wall

To continue that idea, you can use into to express contact with something. It’s good for collisions, culminations and so forth.

  • Many people come into their own professionally a few years after college.
  • We ran into a cart of watermelons.

Into vs. In To: Making Intentional Decisions

Using into and in to seems simple enough until you run into a special case, such as an idiom or phrasal verb. The key is often to determine your intentions. Specifically, decide whether you want to say something literally. Into will often be the more literal choice.

in to vs into tips

Idiomatic Language Examples of In To:

The following two examples of in to both use idiomatic language to express ideas of mild enthusiasm. 

  • She always jumps in to discussion groups.
  • Wow, that kid is really digging in to that meatloaf.

The obvious difference in these next two examples is that there’s no space between in and to. However, what started as a bit of idiomatic vim has now become literal vehemence in both cases: A person with a pattern of physically launching herself into conferences and a child excavating an entree.

  • She always jumps into discussion groups.
  • Wow, that kid is really digging into that meatloaf.

If you still aren’t sure whether to use into or in to — if your computer’s grammar checker has you second-guessing yourself, for example — there’s a process that generally helps: Choose in to if you can omit the prepositional phrase that begins with to and still preserve your idea’s original meaning.

  • She always jumps in.
  • Wow, that kid is really digging in.

Into vs. In to: Turn Hesitation Into Confidence

into and in to

I hope this article helped you get into the swing of things when using these frequently confused words. Did I miss anything? Do you know of any exceptions to my rules? There’s plenty of room in the comments for us to get into it. To sign off, here are two example sentences that illustrate how to use into vs. in to by using both at the same time:

  • We’re not into going in to work on weekends.
  • My co-worker said, “If you’re fed up with coming in to the office daily, getting into grammar can help you go into freelance writing.”

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